Effective content creation doesn’t start with creating content; it starts with planning.
Taking some time to brainstorm is key to building a successful content marketing strategy. Brainstorming allows you to generate content ideas with your audience in mind so you’ll know what the next steps are before you dive into writing, designing, filming, and everything in between. At this stage, you should also identify where you plan to reach your audience and how you plan to engage with them. Think about your tone and voice now, so you can save time later.
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A great first step is to select 3-5 core content categories for your brand. These will be the overarching topics that every piece of content you create should relate to in some way.
For example, if you run an Etsy store that sells vintage tees, your core categories may be product listings, style, and sustainability. Anything you post should fall into at least one of these buckets.
Setting your categories first will not only help make your niche clear to potential customers, it will also keep you focused on what’s most relevant in your ideation phase.
Knowing what types of content you want to create for which platforms is another helpful step for speeding up your content creation. This step is pretty simple. All you need to do is identify your most important marketing channels (e.g., Instagram, LinkedIn, blogging, and email marketing), then figure out the exact content formats you need for each channel (e.g., Instagram post, Instagram Story, Instagram Reels, IGTV).
If you don’t already know the right channels for your brand, consider your target audience. Where are they spending most of their time? What kind of content would be most engaging for them?
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Your editorial calendar will serve as the home for your comprehensive content strategy. It’s how you’ll stay organized as you finalize your content ideas, and it’s where you’ll plug in the content you create.
The first four columns of your calendar will allow you to establish when and where you’re publishing, as well as what your content will be about. The “post topic” column—which we’ll go over in the next step—will allow you to get a little more specific before you create your content for the final two columns.
The final, and arguably most important step in content creation is analyzing your content. Without data, you can’t know what’s working or how to improve it.
There are several data points you could track when analyzing your content, so use your goals as a guide to set some parameters. Whatever you want to accomplish with your content will help you choose your metrics. (Remember that initial goal we talked about?)
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